Cigarette machine drive



June23, 1931. J. A. STEIN 1,810,932

CIGARETTE MACHINE DRIVE Filed Ma'y 9. 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I ATTORNEY June 23, 1931. J. A; STEIN 1,810,932

CIGARETTE MACHINE DRIVE Filed May 9, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W guylamoR mae 23, 1931'. s'TEm 1,810,932

CIGARETTE MACHINE DRIVE I Filed May 9, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WWa? Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. STEIN, OF-NEW YORK, N. Y., 'ASSIG'NOR T AMERICAN MACHINE & IEOTJ' NDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFNEW JERSEY CIGARETTE MACHINE DRIVE Application filed May 9, 1927. Serial No. 189,923.

This invention relates to an improvement in a cigarette machine drive, particularly a.

drive for duplex cigarette machines operating at very. high speed and making two cigarette rodsat the same time. The two cigarette rods in the present machine are run side by side, each having a separate tobacco feed,-and each having its own printer, wrapper tape, rod former, paster,

m sealer,and catcher, only the cutofi and rlpper being common to both rods. The drives and mounts of the various component parts are so arranged that each rod making mechanism can be operated independently of the other 5 when a break occurs in the continuity of either rod. The machine is designed to make 1600 cigarettes per minute, i. e., 800 from each rod. The speed of the machine is therefore 800 R. P. M.

In the old cigarette machines which operated at speeds between four and six hundred per minute, little difficulty was encountered in starting the mechanism smoothly. But in the new high speed machines, operating at 800 R. P. M., the inertia of the mechanisms A has serio-uslyfinterfered with smooth starting,

and resulted in greater wastage of tobacco and paper while the machine was picking up speed from 0 to 800 R. P. M., the greater part of the difliculty being encountered as the speed approaches. maximum. It is the main object of the present invention to overcome this difliculty by producing a machine which may be started slowly and then accelerated \Vith this and other objects not specificallymentioned in view, the invention consists 1n certain constructions and combinations which radually until maximum speedis reached.

with the invention; Figs. 2 and 2a are sectional plan views of the same; Fig. 3 is an end view from the line 33 in'Fig. 1a, showing the drive of the feed mechanism for one of the cigarette rods; Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the clutch control of the main drive shafts of the two groups of working parts;

5 is a detail of the clutch mechanism; Flg. 6 is a side elevation of the entire drive control; Fig. 7 is an end view of the same as seen from the line 7 7--in Fig. 6 Fig. 8 is a section through the control mechanism on the l1ne 88 in Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a section through the control mechanism on the line 99 in Fig. 6 0 cFatcher drive, taken on the line 10-10 in ig. l.

In carrying the invention into. effect, there is provided a constant-speed source of motion such as a power orline shaft, a main machme shaft from which the working parts of the machine derive their motion, a speedvarying gearing connecting the source of mo-' t1on and the main machine shaft, and controlling means whereby I said gearing is caused to start said machine shaft at sub-normal speed and then accelerate said speed, until maximum speed is attained, without pro- .ducing wastage of tobacco and paper. These various means may be varled 1n COIlStI'llCtlOII.

within the scope of the claims, for the specific drive selected to illustrate.theinvention is but one of numerous possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore," is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

Referring to Figs. 1, 1a, 2 and 2a: A and-B are the two cigarette rods, C indicates the two cigarette wrapper reels, the lower reel serving the rear rod A and the upper reel serving the front rod B. D indicates a double. printer having two drums, dies, ink rollers. etc., for placing a name or monogram on each cigarette len th of wrapper. E indicates a duplex fee mechanism having sepaand Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view of the" any conventional means rotationthereof, said bars being pivoted to the i rate tobacco chambers and discharge chutes for the two cigarette rods. F indicates the two wrapper tapes, G the two rod formers, H the two pasters, J the two rod sealers, K the common cutofi, and L the two cutoff guides.

N indicates the two separator belts which receive the cut cigarettes from the cutoff K,

separate the same and deliver them to the two catchers O. P is a chute. into which defective cigarettes are thrown to be cut .open by the ripper Q. And M is the driving motor or constant speedsource of motion.

All working parts of the machine are mounted on the main framell which issupported on the pedestals '12. Both sectionso'f the machine are driven by the motorM. The

motor pulley 14, through a silent chain 15,

I pulley sections 364 and 3b, and vice versa, 1n

response to a movement of the control rod 298 in one direction or the other, 5 in order to change the speed at which-the shaft 232 is rotated trated, this is accomplished by means" of two by belt 17; As'illusbars 4 and 5 p'ivotally secured to the pulley sections, as shown, in av manner permitting frame of the drive at? and 8. One end of each of these bars is swung towards and away' from each. otherby a screw shaft 9 havlng right and left hand screws engaging swiveled blocks on said ends of the bars. This screw shaft is rotated in one direction'orthe other to change the relative positions of the pulley sections in response to movementsof the control rod 298 by a belt 942 running over pulleys on the screw shaft 9 and a pulley loosely mounted on the drive shaft 232, which latter pulley is rotated in .eitherdirection-by the drive shaft 232 in response to clutch and reversing gear 10, of a wellknown type, to which the, rod298 is .connected for controlling-the same, andwhichrevolves said screw shaft 9 a number of turns in either dia rection, 'depending on the position to which i 7 one ofthe bars, until the rod the control rod 298 is moved and is then disengaged bya lever 11 having V V V is again moved. 7 vOn the shaft 21 is mounted ing with gears 27 and 28 on shafts 29 and 30 operating the cigarette rods A and-B, respectively. The shaft 29 has aeworm 31 driving a wormgear 32, while the shaft 30 has a worm "33 driving a wormgear 34. The wormgear while at the same time bringing Zontal'shaft76 which a combined 105 operating the cutoff K.

a connectiontoa gear '26mesh 32 is keyed to a shaft 35 driving, through a ratchet, 36, the printer drum 37 of the cigarette rod B. Similarly, the wormgear 34 is mounted on asleeve 38 of the shaft 35 and,

through a ratchet 39, drives the printer drum 40 of the cigarette rod A. v

The main shaft 21 carries a gear 41 which, through an intermediate, gear 42, drives a gear 43 mounted on a jack shaft 44. The latter has a gear 45 which, through an intermediated gear 46, drives'a gear'47 on a shaft 48 which carries worms 49'and "5O driving, respectively, spiral gears 51 V spiralgears-iare, keyed Ion shafts. 53 and 54,

icarryingthe -printer dies 55 and 56. The

gear 57 on the main shaft 21, through an intermediategear 58, drives a gear 59 mounted on a shaft 60. The latter has two spiral gears 61 driving-spiral gears 62 which are mounted on shafts 63 operating the ink distributors of the two printers. t v

The shaft 29 carries-afbevel gear 64 meshing with a bevel gear 65 on 1a-sl1aft 66 which has a bevel gear 67 meshing witlra lievehgear 68 on a horizontal shaft-'69 drivingthepaster H of the cigarette :rod. Similarly, the

shaft30 carriesia bevel gear 71 meshing-with a bevel geari 2 on a shaft7 3 having a bevel gear 7 4 meshing 'with-abevelgear .75 on-a'horithe cig'arette-rod B. J On the shaft 29 is also mounted a' gear'78 meshing :with a gear 79 'mounted on a shaft 8Q. The latter ca'rries'a' worm -8l driving a wormwheel82-which is mounted on a shaft .83. The wormwheel 82, through-a pawl {84, drives avratchet 85xmountec'l on asha'ft '86.,on

which is supportedthetapewheel ofcthe cigarette rod B. 7 On the shaft 30 is mounted a worm .88 meshing with a'wormwheel 89' through apawl keyed to a shaftv90 which,

91, driveslthe ratchet 92 on ashaft 93 driving the tape wheel 94 of-th-e cigarette rod 'A. The .jackshaft '44, 'by'meansof a .pulley 95 and belt 96,,drivesthe pulley 97 0f the two rod sealers J.

Onthe jack shaft 44", is mounted a'clutch 98 to which is attached ac'bevel gear 99' meshing with the bevel gear 100 on a shaft 101. The 'latter,ithrough bevel gears "102 and 103, drives the shaft'104 carrying'the eccentric A bevel gear 106 on thejackshaft 44 meshes with a bevel gear 107 on ashaft 108 carrying a bevel gear 109 meshing with a bevel gear 110 on a shaft 111 which carries a pulley 112 driving the cigarette separator belts N of the rods A and B. The belts N runon the guide pulleys 113 and areikept in tension idlers 114 of the belt tighteners 115.

To the clutch 98 and the bevelgear 99 is attached a sprocket 116 which, through a silent chain'117,.drives a sprocket 118 on a shaft 119.' The latter carries a pulley 120 by the drives the paster-il -I of and 52. These which, througha belt 121, drives a pulley' Q, a reciprocating motion.

provided with a screen 132 for separating 122 on a. shaft 123 carrying the knives 124 and 125 of the ripper Q. A drum 126 on the shaft 119 drives the ripper belt 127. The shaft 119 also has a spiral gear 128 meshing with another spiral gear 129 fastened to a shaft 130 on which is mounted an eccentric arm 131 imparting to the bottom of the ripper the tobacco from thepaper.

On the shaft 108 is mounted a spiral gear 133 meshing with the spiral gear 134 on the shaft 135, the plan view of which is shown in Fig. 10. To the shaft 135 is keyed a bevel gear 136 meshin with the bevel gear 137 mounted on a shaft 138 which drives a catcher drum 139 having the belts 140 runn n over adjustable idler pulleys 141. The pulleys 141 are mounted on shafts 142 supported in forked tightener arms 143 which are hinged on a shaft 144. The arms 143 are provided with adjusting screws 145 having hand wheels 146 for tightening the belts 140. The spiral gear 133 also meshes with a spiral gear 147 on a shaft 148 having a sprocket 149 which, through a chain 150, drives a sprocket 151 actuating the ejecting wheels 152.

On the main shaft 121, as shown in Fig. 3, is mounted a gear 153 meshing with a gear 154 on a shaft 155 carrying a pinion 156 which, through an intermediate gear 157, drives a gear158 mounted on a shaft 159 having also a gear 160 which meshes with a gear 161 on a shaft 162. The latter has a gear 163 meshing with a gear 164 on a feed clutch shaft 165 having two clutches 166, one for each cigarette rod. By stopping either one of the rods, its tobacco feed is thereby automatically shut off.

The shaft 165 has a sprocket wheel 167 which, through a chain 168, drives a sprocket wheel 169 on a shaft 170 of the lower drum of the left hand tobacco feed which supplies the cigarette rod B. The chain 168 runs over an idler sprocket 1.71 and is kept in tension by a belt of the tobacco feed for the cigarette rod B. The sprocket 177 is fastened to the shaft 180 of'a concave roller 181 of the feed for the rod B. On the shaft 179 is mounted a goal-182 -meshing with the gear 183 on the shaft 184 driving the compression roller 185 of the feed for the rod 13. The chain 174 runs over ldlers 186 and 187. 1th the shaft 184 rotates a I pronged wheel 188 striking a lever 189 which,

through a shaft 190, operates a hammer which knocks against the rear wall of the chute 191, setting the same in'vibration so that no dust or tobacco will stick to it.

The ripper is- The tobacco chamber of each feed has an adjustable Wall controlling the quantity of tobacco fed to the cigarette rod. The adjusting wall of the feed for the rod B is fastened on the rods 192 and 193 having sprockets 194 and 195 respectively which are connected by a chain 196. On the rod 193 is mounted a sprocket 197 which, through a chain 198, is connected with a sprocket 199 mounted on a shaft 200 to which a crank or handle is attached'in case adjustment is required. The chain 198 is kept in tension by a tightening sprocket 201. i

On the shaft 159 is mounted an eccentric 202 connected through a rod 203 to a lever 204 pivoted on a shaft 205. To the lever 204 is hinged a rod 206 connecting it with the drive arm 207 pivoted on a shaft 208. To the shaft 208 is attached the upper drum of the tobacco feed for the rod B, and also a ratchet wheel 209 whichis driven step by step by a pawl 210 pivoted on the arm 207. In order to prevent the shaft 208 from turning during the advance of the pawl 210, the ratchet 209 is provided with a brake drum 211 having a brake band 212 which is kept in tension by a spring 213. To the shaft 208 is pivoted a lever 214 having a pawl 215 preventing backsliding of the ratchet. The drive of the tobacco feed for the forward cigarette rod A is located at the opposite side of the feed box E and is a duplicate of that shown in Fig. 3, the mechanism in this case being driven from the clutch shaft 165. By means of the clutches 166, then, either of the feeds may be stopped without affecting the operation of the other.

The top fan, which is common'to both feeds, is mounted on a shaft 216 and runs all the time when the machine is in operation. It is driven from a pulley 217, Fig. 1a, through a bel 218 running over a pulley 219 on a shaft 220 011 which is also mounted the common winnower. The shaft 220 has a double pulley 221 which, through a belt 222, drives a pulley 223 on the shaft 224 carrying the common picker roll of the two feeds. The double pulley 221, through a belt 225, is driven from a pulley-226 on a shaft 227 supported by a bearing bracket 228 on the main base 11. The shaft 227 also has a pulley 229 which, through a belt 230, is driven from a pulley 231 on a shaft 232 of the Reeves drive 17. The shaft 227 further has a pulley 233 which, through a belt 234, drives the suction fan 235.

The drive control system by which it is made possible to stop the mechanism of either cigarette rod while that of the other is operating, is shown in Figs. 4 00-9. The shafts 29 and 30 have each a specially designed clutch 236 and 237 respectvely, so arranged that both'clutohes can'be in engagement, or either clutch can be engaged and the other disengaged, but both clutches cannot be engaged at the same time. To achieve this object, the shafts 29 and30 are provided with sleeves 238 which hold springs 239 bearing stationary collars 240 fastened to the shafts 29 and 30. The collars 240 are provided with two diametrically opposite axial slots in which are pivoted lock fingers 241 engaging grooves 242 of the sleeve 238 when the latter are held in looking posit-ion against the ten. Each shaft 29 and 30.

sion of the springs 239. has a dianie rical hole containing a spring 243 which bears against the lock fingers 241 which are held in place by the operating sleeves 244 and 244 The la ter have central collars 245 and 245 through which they are moved back and forth by rods 246 and 246 having collars 247, 248, 24 and 248", spaced in such a manne r that when the collar 247 engages the collar 245 to move the operating sleeve 244 in one direction, the collar 248 e'ngages the collar 245 and moves the operating sleeve 244"- in the opposite direction. The rods 246 and 246 are pivoted in the ends of a double lever 249 mounted on a shaft 250 vertically supported in bearing brackets 251 and 252. On the shaft 250 is mounted a gear sector 253 meshing with a gear sector 254 mounted on a shaft 255 having a handlever 256. The collars 247, 248, 247 and 248= are so spaced on the rods 246 and 246 that in the central position of the operating lever 256, both clutches are in engagement. In order to disengage one or the other of them, it is only necessary to move the hand lever 256 either to the right or to the left.

hen the clutch operating sleeve 244 or 244a is moved to the left, its beveled bore 257 presses the lockfingers 241 inward and out of engagement with the groove 242 of the sleeve 238, and the then released spring 239 pushes the male clutch disc 258 into engagement with the female clutch disc 259. In order to disengage the clutches, the rods 246 and 24664 are provided with slotted heads 260 and 260a which engage pins 261 and 261a fastened to clutch shifting forks 262 and 262a mounted on shafts 263 and 263a supported in a bearing bracket 264 attached to the frame 11. By disengaging one of the clutches 236 or 237, as shown by arrows in Fig. 5, the operating rod of the other clutch will be pulled in the opposite direction, thereby disengaging the lock fingers 241 of that clutch if they are not already disengaged, and causing its spring 239 to throw it into engagement. As by this arrangement it is only possible to disengage one clutch at a time, stopping either one of the cigarette rods but not both simultaneously, the main shaft 21 of the machine. is provided with a main clutch 265 which will, when disengaged, stop the entire machine.

The main clutch 265 is operated from the main shift lever 266 mounted on a shifter shaft 267 supported by hearing brackets 268 and 269. The shift lever 266 is .guided by a which is placedbetween two set collars 272 so that it can move freely through a certain distance before pushing the shaft 267 in either direction. The slide cam 271, through a link 273, is connected to a lever 274 mounted on a shaft 27 5 which is supported by brackets and 77, and also has the hand lever 276. In order to operate the main clutch from the opposite side of the machine, the shaft 275 has a lever 277 connected through a rod 278 to abellcrank lever 279 which, by a rod 280, is connected to a lever 281 fulcrunied withthe hand lever 282.0n a shaft 283 supported by a bracket 284.

The machine is started by operating one of the hand levers 276 or 282, that is, by engaging the main clutch 265. The machine always starts at sub-normal speed. In order to accelerate the speed, the speed lever 285 (Fig. 6) is pulled over slowly until arrested by the stop pin 286 (Fig. 7 The speed lever 285 is mounted on a shaft 287 supported in brackets 288 and 289 and having a lever 290 which, through a rod 291, is connected with a lever clutches are connected with the Reeves drive gearing and will bring the machine to low speed automatically before disengaging a clutch. To soconnect the individual ro'd operating levers, the gear sector 253 is provided with a cam 299 moving with the sector, and

a roller300 is mounted in the endof a lever 301 011 the shaft 293 so as to bear against the cam surface. The cam 299 is so shaped that, in the clutch disengaging position of the sector 253, the lever 301, through the shaft 293, lever 297 and rod 298, throws the Reeves gearing into low speed. Similarly, the slidecam 271, operating the main clutch 265, bears against aroller 302 mounted in an arm 303 fastened to the shaft 293, thereby operating the Reeves gearing before disengaging the main clutch.

The rod operating clutches 236 and'237 can .also be manipulated from the opposite side 314 supported in a bearing bracket 315 attached to the tobacco feed E. On the shaft 314 is secured a lever 316 which, through a rod 317, is connected to the two feed control clutches 166 on the feed clutch shaft 165. The sector 312 moves in unison with a lever 249, so that, when either of the cigarette rods is stopped by the lever 249, the corresponding tobacco feed is also discontinued. In order to stop either feed independently of the operation of the cigarette rod forming mechanism, the rod 318 is provided which controls the two feed clutches by hand.

In view of the foregoing, a detailed description of the operation of the machines is deemed unnecessary and is therefore omitted in the interest of brevity.

hat is claimed is:

1. The combination with cigarette making mechanism, of a constant speed source of motion, a main shaft for driving said mechanism, speed varying gearing and a clutch connecting said source with said shaft, and controlling means including operating connections to said clutch and said gearing for causing said shaft to start only at subnormal speed and devices for accelerating said speed after starting.

2. The combination with cigarette making mechanism, of a constant speed source of motion, a main shaft for driving said mechanism, speed varying gearing and a clutch connecting said source with said shaft, and controlling means including operating connections to said clutch and said gearing for causing said shaft to start only at subnormal speed and devices for accelerating said speed after starting, said mechanism including a jack shaft driven by said main shaft and two printing dies driven by said jack shaft and controlled by said means.

3. The combination with cigarette making mechanism, of a constant speed source of motion, a main shaft for driving said mechanism, speed varying gearing and a clutch connecting said source with said shaft, and controlling means including operating connections to said clutch and said gearing for causing said shaft to start only at subnormal speed and devices for accelerating said speedv after starting, said mechanism including a jack shaft driven by said main shaft, and cutofl mechanism driven by said jack shaft and controlled by said means.

4. The combination with cigarette making mechanism, of a constant speed source of motion, a main shaft for driving said mechanism, speed varying gearing and a clutch connecting said source with said shaft, and controlling means including operating connections to said clutch and said gearing for causing said shaft to start only at subnormal speed and devices for accelerating said speed after starting, said mechanism including a jack shaft driven bysaid main shaft and two cigarette catchers driven by said jack shaft v and controlled by said means. 1

motion, a main shaft for driving said mechanism. sneed var *in' earin and a clutch 1 l b b connecting said source with said shaft, and 3 controlling means including operating connections to said clutch and said gearings for causing said shaft tostartonly at subnormal. speed and devices for accelerating said speed after starting, said mechanism including a jack shaft driven by said main shaft, and a cigarette ripper driven by said jack shaft and controlled by said means.

6. The combination with cigarette making mechanism, of a constant speed source of motion, clutch means and speed varying gearing connecting said source with said mechanism, and controlling means connected to said clutch means and said gearing for automatically causing said gearing to drive thev mechanism at subnormal speed preliminary to disengagement of the clutch means to insure low speed driving when starting and stopping.

7 The combination with cigarette making mechanism, of aconstant speed source of motion, clutch means and speed varying gearing I connecting said source with said mechanism, and controlling means connected to said clutch means and said gearing for automatically causing said gearing to drive the mechanism at subnormal speed preliminary to disengagement o-fthe clutch means to insure low speed driving when starting and stopping, and means acting on said gearing for accelerating said mechanism to normal speed after starting.

8. The combination with cigarette making mechanism, of a constant speed source of motion, clutch means and speed varying gearing connecting said source with said mechanism, and controlling means connected to said clutch means and said gearing for automatically causing said gearing to drive the mechanism at subnormal speed preliminary to disengagement of the clutch means to insurelow speed driving when starting and stopping, said mechanism including two rod forming mechanisms and said clutch means having separate clutches through which each of said rod forming mechanisms are driven, and means for selectively operating said clutches.

9. The combination with cigarette making mechanism, of a constant speed source of motion, clutch means and speed varying gearing connecting said source with said mechanism, and controlling means connected to said clutch means and said gearingfor automatically causing said gearing to drive the mechanism at subnormal speed preliminary to disengagement of the clutch means to insure low speed driving when starting and stopping, said mechanism including two rod forming mechanisms and said clutchmeans havingseparate clutches through which each of said rod forming mechanisms are driven,

. and a connection between said clutches. oper-- ative. to permit either onehof said clutches to be disengaged but preventing disengagement of both at once.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN A. STEIN. 

